Paul and the False Apostles
1I hope you will put up with me in a little foolishness. Yes, please put up with me! 2I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him. 3But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 4For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.
5I do not think I am in the least inferior to those “super-apostles.”11:5 Or to the most eminent apostles 6I may indeed be untrained as a speaker, but I do have knowledge. We have made this perfectly clear to you in every way. 7Was it a sin for me to lower myself in order to elevate you by preaching the gospel of God to you free of charge? 8I robbed other churches by receiving support from them so as to serve you. 9And when I was with you and needed something, I was not a burden to anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied what I needed. I have kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and will continue to do so. 10As surely as the truth of Christ is in me, nobody in the regions of Achaia will stop this boasting of mine. 11Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!
12And I will keep on doing what I am doing in order to cut the ground from under those who want an opportunity to be considered equal with us in the things they boast about. 13For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. 14And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.
Paul Boasts About His Sufferings
16I repeat: Let no one take me for a fool. But if you do, then tolerate me just as you would a fool, so that I may do a little boasting. 17In this self-confident boasting I am not talking as the Lord would, but as a fool. 18Since many are boasting in the way the world does, I too will boast. 19You gladly put up with fools since you are so wise! 20In fact, you even put up with anyone who enslaves you or exploits you or takes advantage of you or puts on airs or slaps you in the face. 21To my shame I admit that we were too weak for that!
Whatever anyone else dares to boast about—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast about. 22Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham’s descendants? So am I. 23Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. 24Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. 27I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. 28Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. 29Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?
30If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. 31The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is to be praised forever, knows that I am not lying. 32In Damascus the governor under King Aretas had the city of the Damascenes guarded in order to arrest me. 33But I was lowered in a basket from a window in the wall and slipped through his hands.
Paũlũ na Atũmwo a Maheeni
111:1 2Akor 5:13; Math 17:17Nĩngwĩhoka nĩmũgũkirĩrĩria ũrimũ ũrĩa mũnini ndĩ naguo; ndamũthaitha mũngirĩrĩrie. 2Nĩndĩraigua ũiru nĩ ũndũ wanyu, ũiru uumanĩte na ũngai. Ndamwĩrĩire o mũthuuri ũmwe, na nĩwe Kristũ, nĩgeetha ngaamũneana kũrĩ we mũrĩ ta mũirĩtu gathirange. 311:3 Kĩam 3:1-6, 13; Kũg 12:9No ndĩ na guoya gũtigatuĩke atĩ meciiria manyu no maturuurio mũtiganĩrie ũgima na ũtheru wa kwĩrutĩra Kristũ, o ta ũrĩa Hawa aaheenekire nĩ nyoka na wara wayo. 411:4 Agal 1:6-9; Arom 8:15Inyuĩ nĩmwamũkagĩra ũhoro ũngĩ mũkenete, mũndũ o wothe angĩmũhunjĩria ũhoro wa Jesũ ũngĩ tiga Jesũ ũrĩa twamũhunjĩirie, kana mũngĩamũkĩra roho ũngĩ tiga Roho ũrĩa mwamũkĩrire, o na kana mũgetĩkia ũhoro-mwega ũngĩ tiga ũrĩa mwetĩkirie. 5No ndigwĩciiria atĩ ndĩ mũnini o na hanini kũrĩ “atũmwo acio anene.” 611:6 1Akor 1:17; Aef 3:4No ngorwo itarĩ mũrute ũhoro-inĩ wa kwaria, no ndĩ na ũmenyo. Nĩtũmũmenyithĩtie maũndũ maya wega na njĩra ciothe.
711:7 2Akor 12:13; Arom 1:1Hihi nĩ kwĩhia ndeehirie nĩ kwĩnyiihia nĩguo ndĩmũtũũgĩrie inyuĩ na ũndũ wa kũmũhunjĩria Ũhoro-ũrĩa-Mwega wa Ngai hatarĩ irĩhi? 811:8 Filem 4, 15, 18Nĩgũtunya ndaatunyaga makanitha mangĩ ngĩamũkĩra ũteithio kuuma kũrĩ o nĩguo hote kũmũtungata. 9Na hĩndĩ ĩrĩa ndaarĩ na inyuĩ, ndabatario nĩ kĩndũ-rĩ, ndiatuĩkaga mũrigo harĩ mũndũ o na ũrĩkũ, nĩgũkorwo ariũ na aarĩ a Ithe witũ moka kuuma Makedonia nĩmaheire indo cia kũigana mabataro makwa. Nĩndĩgirĩrĩirie ndigatuĩke mũrigo kũrĩ inyuĩ na njĩra o yothe, na nĩngũthiĩ na mbere gwĩka ũguo. 1011:10 Arom 9:1; Atũm 18:12Ti-itherũ o ta ũrĩa ũhoro wa ma wa Kristũ ũrĩ thĩinĩ wakwa, gũtirĩ mũndũ o na ũ thĩinĩ wa ngʼongo cia Akaia ũngĩngiria ndĩrahe ũguo. 11Nĩ kĩĩ gĩatũma njuge ũguo? Nĩ tondũ ndimwendete? Ngai nĩoĩ atĩ nĩndĩmwendete! 12Na nĩngũthiĩ na mbere na gwĩka ũrĩa ndĩreka, nĩguo njagithie kĩene andũ arĩa macaragia mweke wa kuoneka atĩ nĩmaiganaine na ithuĩ, thĩinĩ wa maũndũ marĩa merahaga namo.
1311:13 Kũg 2:2; Math 7:15Nĩgũkorwo andũ ta acio nĩ atũmwo a maheeni, aruti wĩra a kũhĩtithia andũ, na metuaga atũmwo a Kristũ. 14Naguo ũndũ ũcio ti wa kũmakania, nĩgũkorwo o na Shaitani o nake nĩetuaga mũraika wa ũtheri. 1511:15 Afil 3:19Ndũkĩrĩ ũndũ wa kũgegania ndungata ciake cingĩĩtua ndungata cia ũthingu. Marigĩrĩrio-inĩ makaagĩa na kĩrĩa kĩringaine na ciĩko ciao.
Paũlũ Kwĩrahĩra Mathĩĩna Make
16Nĩnguuga o rĩngĩ atĩrĩ: Mũndũ ndakae kuona ta ndĩ kĩrimũ. No angĩkorwo nĩguo mũkuona-rĩ, kĩnyamũkĩrei o ta ũrĩa mũngĩamũkĩra kĩrimũ, nĩguo ndĩĩrahe o hanini. 1711:17 1Akor 7:12, 25Ũhoro-inĩ wa mwĩraho ũyũ ndĩ naguo-rĩ, ndiraaria ta ũrĩa Mwathani angĩaria, no ndĩraaria o ta ũrĩa kĩrimũ kĩngĩaria. 18Kuona atĩ andũ aingĩ nĩmareraha ta ũrĩa thĩ ĩĩrahaga-rĩ, o na niĩ ngwĩraha o tao. 19Tondũ inyuĩ mũkĩrĩ oogĩ-rĩ, nĩmũkiragĩrĩria arĩa irimũ mũkenete! 20Ti-itherũ, nĩmũkiragĩrĩria mũndũ o wothe o na angĩmũtua ngombo ciake, kana ũrĩa ũkũmũhatĩrĩria, kana ũrĩa ũkũrĩa indo cianyu, kana ũrĩa ũgwĩtũũgĩria mbere yanyu, o na kana ũrĩa ũkũmũhũũra hĩ. 21Nĩngũconoka ngiuga atĩ ithuĩ nĩtwaremirwo nĩ gwĩka maũndũ ta macio!
Ũndũ ũrĩa mũndũ ũngĩ angĩhota kwĩraha nĩ ũndũ waguo-rĩ, ndĩkĩarie ta ndĩ kĩrimũ-rĩ, o na niĩ no ngĩgerie kwĩraha nĩ ũndũ waguo. 2211:22 Arom 9:4; Arom 11:1Andũ acio nĩ Ahibirania? O na niĩ ndĩ Mũhibirania. Andũ acio nĩ Aisiraeli? O na niĩ ndĩ Mũisiraeli. Andũ acio nĩ njiaro cia Iburahĩmu? O na niĩ ndĩ wa rũciaro rwa Iburahĩmu. 2311:23 1Akor 15:10; Arom 8:36Andũ acio nĩ ndungata cia Kristũ? (Ngwaria ũguo ta ndĩ mũgũrũku.) Niĩ nĩndĩmakĩrĩte. Nĩndutĩte wĩra na kĩyo kũmakĩra, na ngaikio njeera mahinda maingĩ makĩria yao, na ngahũũrwo na kĩboko makĩria, o na mahinda maingĩ ndanakuhĩrĩria gũkua. 2411:24 Gũcook 25:3Ayahudi nĩmahũũrire na kĩboko maita matano, o ihinda iboko mĩrongo ĩtatũ na kenda. 2511:25 Atũm 16:22; Atũm 14:19Nĩndahũũrirwo na thanju maita matatũ, na riita rĩmwe ngĩhũũrwo na mahiga nyuguto,11:25 Ayahudi mooragaga mũndũ na njĩra ya kũmũhũũra na mahiga nyuguto (Atũm 14:19-20). na maita matatũ ndanathũkĩrwo nĩ marikabu ndĩ thĩinĩ, na ngĩraara o na ngĩtinda iria-inĩ ũtukũ ũmwe na mũthenya mũgima. 2611:26 Atũm 16:22; Atũm 21:31Ngoretwo ngĩthiĩ ngʼendo nyingĩ. Ngagĩkorwo ndĩ ũgwati-inĩ wa gũtwarwo nĩ njũũĩ, na ũgwati-inĩ wa atunyani, na ũgwati-inĩ wa gũũkĩrĩrwo nĩ andũ a rũrĩrĩ rwitũ, na ũgwati-inĩ wa gũũkĩrĩrwo nĩ andũ-a-Ndũrĩrĩ; na ngoona ũgwati ndĩ matũũra-inĩ manene, na ndĩ thĩinĩ wa bũrũri, na ndĩ iria-inĩ; o na ũgwati wa andũ arĩa maheenanagia atĩ nĩ ariũ na aarĩ a Ithe witũ. 2711:27 Atũm 18:3; 1Akor 4:11, 12Ndaanaruta wĩra mũritũ na wa mĩnoga, na maita maingĩ ngaagaga toro; ndaanakorwo na ngʼaragu na nyoota, na maita maingĩ ngaaga kĩndũ gĩa kũrĩa; ndaanakorwo heho-inĩ na ndĩ njaga. 28Hamwe na macio mothe-rĩ, o mũthenya ngoragwo na mũrigo, ngĩĩtanga nĩ ũndũ wa makanitha mothe. 29Nũũ ũngĩkorwo aagĩte hinya, na niĩ njage gũkorwo njũrĩtwo nĩ hinya? Nũũ ũngĩhĩngithio, na niĩ njage gũkorwo ngĩcinwo nĩ marakara?
3011:30 1Akor 2:3; Agal 6:14Angĩkorwo no nginya ndĩĩrahe, ngwĩrahĩra maũndũ marĩa monanagia ũrĩa itarĩ na hinya. 31Ngai, na nowe Ithe wa Mwathani Jesũ, ũrĩa ũgoocagwo nginya tene-rĩ, nĩoĩ atĩ ndiraheenania. 3211:32 Atũm 9:24Kũu Dameski, barũthi ũrĩa waathanaga arĩ rungu rwa Mũthamaki Areta-rĩ, nĩathanire itũũra inene rĩa andũ a Dameski rĩrangĩrwo nĩgeetha aanyiitithie. 33No nĩndoimĩirio ndirica, ngĩikũrũkĩrio rũthingo-inĩ ndĩ thĩinĩ wa gĩkabũ, ngĩhonoka kũnyiitwo nĩwe.
